India eases visa rules for Bangladeshis

In a bid to ease the procurement of Indian tourist visas for Bangladeshis, India will now allow those with confirmed travel tickets to submit their visa applications directly without prior appointments. "As part of ongoing efforts to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of securing Indian visas, the High Commission of India will allow all Bangladesh travellers with confirmed air, train or bus tickets to submit their tourist visa applications without e-token or prior appointment dates from 1 January 2017," the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in a press release.

"The date of journey should be after seven days but within one month of submission of the visa application form," it said.

The Indian Visa Application Centre in Mirpur started receiving walk-in tourist visa applications from confirmed travellers and senior citizens from January 1.Those who already have appointment dates can continue to submit their tourist visa applications in centres at Gulshan, Uttara, Motijheel, Mymensingh, Barisal, Khulna, Jessore, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet.

The mission also said that its pilot project started in October for allowing walk-in visa application facility for women travellers and their immediate family members has been "very successful".